Manually cleaning your PC registry

As we near the end of 2022 we look at the current best antivirus software for popular platforms, why they are the best, and why you should get them.

Avira, a great free Antivirus

Avira has been around a long time with its free antivirus version of the larger protection suite. It had its ups and downs but the latest versions are really great. With high-speed scans and low system impact, Avira antivirus is really one of the best free antivirus software currently on the market.

The software itself has also received UI & UX updates making it straightforward and easy to use. The virus scanning engine is the same as in paid version that ranks among the top engines in the world for this type of work. The package also gives you some great browser protection and a good firewall as well, there is really no excuse to skip on this if you want a free solution.

The only thing that we would say is not so great in Avira is reporting some false positives, sometimes even for MS updates, it is rare but it can happen.

Malwarebytes, a powerful Windows antivirus

Malwarebytes Premium is easy to use, simple antivirus solution that shies away from complicated UI, and simply put, it just works. Its scanning engine is well-known and places among the top and best in the world often finding some malware that other can miss.

Another great thing is its integration with Windows itself, it is one of the rare applications that can and will work incredibly well beside your typical Windows protection tools so you can have both of them running at the same time.

Installation and running are really simple and every typical PC user will find it as easy as walking in the park. On the other hand, sadly system impact is a little high and it will have issues running on lower-end systems due to its memory requirements.

Intego MAC Internet Security X9, the best Mac antivirus

Gone are the days when MAC had no virus issues, since MAC rose in popularity among the users, also rose the number of viruses and malware. The system itself has some great protection built it inside but for more security and better control of it, you will need a third-party dedicated solution.

Intego was made by Mac antivirus experts who have been building this kind of software last 25 years. The interface is easy to use and premade presets are really helpful, but the security suite can also be customized to fit your needs and desires.

Since this is only available as a security suite, you are getting a firewall and some other security tools along with your antivirus that will run as a part of it.

The bad side is that scans can sometimes run slow, most of the time they are OK in terms of speed but occasionally they can switch to slower speeds and impact scanning time to some annoying times. Also, there is no webcam protection nor VPN service included where others on this list have them.

Bitdefender mobile security: best Android protection

While protection is not only needed for your gaming or workstation, software suites that are dealing with mobile and tablet security exist. The best of them is the Bitdefender antivirus mobile suite. Low on system resources and low on performance impact with the really great virus detection rate Bitdefender is at the top of suites for your phone.

Consistent high virus detection packed with low battery impact is great but the suite comes with tons of other tools as well like browser security tools, email protection, and real-time link and notification protection.

The application will always scan each file and newly installed application in the background and alert and cut off any found threat. App itself is easy to install and use and most of the time it will do everything in the background for you but offer you customization if you need it.

The package also includes VPN and application lock that will let you protect the critical applications from being accessed as well as an online account scanner. Anti-theft and anti-loss tools, which allow you to find, remotely lock or wipe a stolen or lost device, add yet another layer of protection.

One thing that is missing from this great package is fraudulent call protection. Newer Android phones have this feature inside but it would be nice if Bitdefender had it as well.

Bitdefender, the best antivirus software

Now that we have covered specific cases of each platform, there is one player that has all of them covered and with a quality product, that player is BitDefender and it is great. Personally, this is my protection suite of choice and as I type this it is running in the background.

Bitdefender has it all, low system impact, as a matter of fact, it is one, if not, the lowest performance impact engine on the market currently and that is packed with a great and highly consistent virus & malware detection suite. Along with real-time malware protection, browser security, and anti-spam tools, you also get anti-phishing defenses, ransomware protection, and a strong firewall.

Bitdefender scores are very high in both the zero-day threat and real-world protection tests at AV-Test, an established organization that tests antivirus software. Despite being tested against tens of thousands of well-known and widespread malware threats, the software consistently achieves a 100% blocking rate.

The suite also comes with a restricted free VPN and with parental controls as well. Webcam and microphone protection are also included in the suite and on top of all, it has great pricing plans and constant discounts.

BitDefender is really a great package and it might sound too good, but after years and years of personally using it I have not had single malware or virus issue, the only thing that I would put as a negative is that system is severely slowed down when system scans are performed so be sure to run or schedule them when you are not using your computer. This, of course, can put some people off and I will admit it is a serious drawback but for me, the security of my workstation is more important than leaving the computer for 20 or so minutes in order to perform a full scan of the system.

The Free Wifi Hotspot is offered to users that own a laptop and a desktop PC that has a wired connection to the Internet and no WiFi modem. The Free Wifi Hotspot is said to help users share their Internet connection with mobile devices that support the 2G/3G/4G/USB tethering connectivity. However, users will need a 2G/3G/4G modem attached to the computer/laptop with access to the Internet if they intend to benefit from the Free Wifi Hotspot software. Additionally, the Free Wifi Hotspot may collect data like your Internet history, downloads log, and software configuration for product placement optimization. PC users that run the Free Wifi Hotspot software may be shown pop-up windows with marketing materials from time to time and maybe redirected to promotional offers.

Several anti-virus applications have flagged Free Wifi Hotspot as a Potentially Unwanted Applications and may come bundled with other PUP-s that may harm your computer or steal some information, due to these risks it is marked for optional removal.

About Potentially Unwanted Applications

Everybody has experienced it – you download a piece of free application, then you see some unwanted applications on your computer or find a strange toolbar has been included with your browser. You didn’t install them, so how did they appear? These unwanted applications, which are referred to as Potentially Unwanted Programs, or PUPs in short, typically tag along as a software package when downloading the application and can ruin your PC or cause major annoyances. PUP does not involve malware in the traditional sense. The reason is, the majority of PUPs end up in a computer not because they slip through the security holes, for example, but because the users have got installed them themselves – totally unintentionally needless to say. A PUP might not be regarded as malicious or harmful but nonetheless, it is a standard reason for clunky OSs; some PUPs are a lot more aggressive by deliberately slowing down your computer or laptop.

How does unwanted software impact you?

Unwanted programs come in many forms. Usually, they can be seen in adware bundlers that are known to utilize aggressive and misleading advertising. The majority of bundlers install many adware programs from several vendors, each of which has its own EULA policy. Safebytes Anti-malware totally eliminates this threat and safeguards your machine against PUP or adware infection. The PUPs likewise get installed into your computer in the form of browser add-ons and toolbars. They will modify web browser settings, change the default search engine, substitute the default home page with their very own websites, slow down browsing speed, and also will ruin your system also. Potentially unwanted programs apply aggressive distribution methods to get onto your personal computer. The worst part of installing a PUP is the spyware, adware, and keystroke loggers that may hide inside. These are software programs that don’t do anything good for you; in addition to occupying space on the hard disk, they will also slow down your PC, often change settings without your approval, the list of troublesome features goes on and on.

Tips on avoiding PUPs

• When installing anything on your desktop, always read the fine print, like the license agreement. Do not accept terms of use that are for bundled programs. • Don’t accept standard, express, default, or any other installation settings which are recommended. Always opt for “custom” installation. • Make use of an antivirus program to boost your protection. Anti-malware programs like Safebytes Anti-malware has got real-time features that will block PUPs before they harm your computer. • Avoid adding freeware software you won’t make use of. Nowadays ‘freeware’ isn’t actually freeware – but ‘crapware’ bundling nonsense. • Always download programs from the original website. Most PUPs find their way onto your PC is through download portals, so avoid it entirely. Comply with these tips and you will almost never get potentially unwanted programs on your computer.

How To Get Rid Of Malware That Is Blocking Antivirus Downloads?

Every malware is bad and the level of the damage can vary greatly depending on the type of malware. Some malware sits in between the computer and the internet connection and blocks some or all websites that you really want to check out. It will also block you from adding anything to your PC, especially the anti-virus program. If you’re reading this, you may have affected by a virus that prevents you from downloading a security application such as Safebytes Anti-Malware. There are some options you could try to get around with this particular issue.

Use Safe Mode to resolve the problem

In the event the malware is set to run at Windows startup, then booting in safe mode should avoid it. Since just the bare minimum programs and services launch in “Safe Mode”, there are rarely any reasons for conflicts to happen. Listed here are the steps you need to follow to boot into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (check out Microsoft site for directions on Windows 8 and 10 PCs). 1) At power on, press the F8 key before the Windows splash screen starts to load. This will conjure up the “Advanced Boot Options” menu. 2) Make use of the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Networking and hit ENTER. 3) When you are into this mode, you should have access to the internet once again. Now, use your browser normally and navigate to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 4) Following installation, run a complete scan and allow the program to delete the threats it detects.

Switch over to some other internet browser

Certain malware might target vulnerabilities of a particular web browser that obstruct the downloading process. If you suspect that your Internet Explorer happens to be hijacked by a trojan or otherwise compromised by cybercriminals, the most effective thing to do is to switch to an alternate browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to download your chosen security application – Safebytes Anti-Malware.

Install security software on a USB drive

Another solution is to download and transfer antivirus software from a clean PC to run a scan on the affected computer. Abide by these steps to run the antivirus on the infected computer. 1) On a virus-free PC, install Safebytes Anti-Malware. 2) Plug in the pen drive to a USB slot on the uninfected computer. 3) Double-click the Setup icon of the antivirus software to run the Installation Wizard. 4) Select the flash drive as the destination for saving the software file. Follow activation instructions. 5) Now, insert the thumb drive into the infected system. 6) Double click the Safebytes Anti-malware icon on the pen drive to run the application. 7) Click “Scan Now” to run a complete scan on the infected computer for viruses.

SafeBytes Anti-Malware Benefits

If you are looking to download anti-malware software for your PC, there are lots of tools on the market to consider however, you should not trust blindly anyone, regardless of whether it is free or paid software. Some are very good ones, some are decent, and some are just bogus anti-malware software that will harm your computer themselves! You should opt for a tool that has gained a good reputation and detects not only viruses but other kinds of malware too. On the list of recommended software by industry leaders is SafeBytes Anti-Malware, a popular security application for Microsoft Windows. Safebytes is one of the well-established PC solutions companies, which provide this complete anti-malware software program. When you have installed this software, SafeByte's state-of-the-art protection system will ensure that no viruses or malware can seep through your computer.

SafeBytes anti-malware provides a plethora of enhanced features which set it apart from all others. Below are some of the best ones:

Live Protection: SafeBytes offers an entirely hands-free active protection and is set to monitor, block, and get rid of all computer threats at its first encounter. They’re very efficient in screening and getting rid of different threats because they are continuously revised with new updates and safety measures. World-class AntiMalware Protection: This deep-cleaning anti-malware program goes much deeper than most anti-virus tools to clean out your computer. Its critically acclaimed virus engine finds and disables hard-to-remove malware that conceals deep inside your personal computer. Safe Web Browsing: SafeBytes checks and provides a unique safety rating to every single website you visit and block access to webpages considered to be phishing sites, thus safeguarding you from identity theft, or known to contain malware. Lightweight Tool: SafeBytes is a lightweight and easy-of-use antivirus and antimalware solution. As it uses minimum computer resources, this program leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs to: with you actually. Fantastic Technical Support: Expert technicians are at your disposal 24/7! They will promptly resolve any technical issues you may be encountering with your security software. SafeBytes can keep your PC protected from most advanced malware threats automatically with almost no input needed from you again. Once you’ve downloaded and installed SafeBytes Anti-Malware, you will no longer need to bother about malware or other security worries. If you want sophisticated forms of protection features & threat detections, buying SafeBytes Anti-Malware could be worth the dollars!

Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)

If you’d like to perform the removal of Free Wifi Hotspot manually instead of using an automated software tool, you may follow these steps: Go to the Windows Control Panel, click the “Add or Remove Programs” and there, select the offending application to uninstall. In case of suspicious versions of browser extensions, you can actually remove them via your web browser’s extension manager. You’ll probably also want to totally reset your internet browser to its default configuration settings. To ensure the complete removal, manually examine your hard drive and Windows registry for all of the following and eliminate or reset the values accordingly. Please remember that only professional users should attempt to manually edit the registry because incorrect file removal leads to a major problem or even a computer crash. Furthermore, certain malware is capable of replicating itself or preventing deletion. It is advisable that you carry out the removal procedure in Windows Safe Mode.

If you are trying to install or upgrade your Windows 10 computer but suddenly encountered an error message saying, “Windows could not configure one or more system components”, read on as this post will show you how you can fix the problem. You are not alone in experiencing this problem as other users also reported having the same scenario. Some of them reported getting the following error message:

“Windows could not configure one or more system components. To install Windows restart the computer with error code 0xc1900101-0x30018.”

When you check on the Windows 10 rollback log, you will see a part with the “iisetup.exe” that’s related to the abort. Usually, the upgrade process completes over 50% and gets stuck and then rolls back later on and generates the error logs. This kind of error, in most cases, appears during the upgrade of Windows 10 and is related with the Internet Information Services or IIS in Windows 10. For some unknown reason, it restricts the installation or the upgrade which causes the error to appear. To fix the “Windows could not configure one or more system components” error, you can try to remove the IIS from the Windows Features or rename the “inetsrv” folder. You could also move all the folders related to IIS to another drive. For more details, refer to the options provided below.

Option 1 – Try to remove the IIS from Windows Features

The IIS is installed from the Windows Features and you can find it at Control Panel > Programs. From there, uncheck the checkbox for the Internet Information Services. Once done, click on the OK button to save the changes. Note that this process will get rid of all the related programs, services, and folders from Windows 10. So if you want to, you can just install them later on or use an offline installer from the official site of Microsoft.

Option 2 – Try renaming the inetsrv folder

The next option you can check out to resolve the problem is to rename the “inetsrv” folder. If you have uninstalled IIS from the Windows Features, this should remove the folders as well, however, it didn’t remove the folder then you have to delete the folders that are related to the IIS by following these steps:

• First, you have to boot into the Advanced Recovery Mode and from there, open Command Prompt.
• Next, execute this command to rename the folder from this location, C:Windowssystem32inetsrv: rename C:/Windows/system32/inetsrv/inetsrv.old
• Once done, boot into your computer normally and try to upgrade Windows 10 again, and check if the problem is fixed or not.

Option 3 – Try to move the folders related to IIS to a different drive

• Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
• Next, look for the Application Host Helper Service from the list of services and stop it.
• Once done, take ownership of the “WinSxS” folder and then move the *windows-iis*.*” folders to another drive. You can just search using the “*windows-iis*.*” keyword in the Start Search.
• Next, tap the Ctrl + X keys and paste the folders to another drive.
• After that, start the update process for Windows 10 again.

Error 400 - What is it?

Error 400 is a bad request error that displays in the internet browser like a web page. It pops up when the web page you’ve requested cannot be found. Error 400 may be displayed in one of the following formats on the computer screen:

• ‘400 Bad Request’
• Bad Request - Invalid URL"
• "HTTP Error 400 - Bad Request"
• "Bad Request. Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.”
• "HTTP Error 400. The request hostname is invalid."
• "400 - Bad request. The request could not be understood by the server due to malformed syntax. The client should not repeat the request without modifications."

Solution

Error Causes

Error 400 can be generated due to multiple reasons. These include:

• Wrong URL
• Browser cookies
• Outdated DNS cache

Though this error code is not fatal like the blue screen of death and runtime errors nonetheless it is still advisable to fix it to access your desired website without any inconvenience.

Further Information and Manual Repair

Here are some of the best ways to fix error 400 on your PC without any professional help. Try these methods to resolve error 400:

Method 1

This might come to you by surprise that the most common cause for a 400 Bad Request error is because the URL of the website was typed wrong. So, first things first make sure the URL you’ve inserted is correct. If the URL typed is correct, then try other methods illustrated below.

Method 2

Sometimes error 400 may pop up due to outdated DNS records. DNS cache stores the location (IP addresses) of web servers that contain pages that you’ve viewed recently. You are unable to access the site if the location of the webserver changes before the entry in your DNS cache updates. If this is the error cause then simply clear your DNS cache to resolve. Follow these steps to clear the DNS cache on Windows 8.

• Press Win+X to open the WinX menu.
• Now ‘right click’ on command prompt and select RUN as Administrator. Enter the following command:
• ipconfig /flushdns

If the command was successful, you will see the following message: Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache. This method will hopefully repair error 400 on your computer screen.

Method 3

Another reason for error 400 can be browser cookies. Many sites report error 400 when a cookie it reads is corrupt or too old. In such a situation it is advisable to clear your browser cookies. You can do it manually but it can be time-consuming virtually because the steps involved in deleting cookies differ considerably depending on what web browser you’re using. So, to avoid the hassle it is advisable to download Reimage to remove browser cookies immediately. This is a user-friendly PC Fixer deployed with a powerful registry cleaner. It removes all obsolete and unnecessary files from your PC including junk files, internet history, and cookies in seconds. Click here to download Restoro.

Error 0x800706be is a Windows error code that pops up when a particular system file is having some issue. This error pops up on other Windows-compatible software as well as driver vendors. This error signifies a misconfigured or corrupted system file so you might encounter this error in different instances. For instance, this error might pop up when you click the audio icon from the system tray or when the Windows Upgrade or Update has failed. Needless to say, this error can be caused by different factors. Anyhow, this post will show you what you can do to fix the problem when the error pops up during a Windows Update or Upgrade. If you are seeing this error when you try to install the latest Windows updates, it will show a Windows Update failed message and you obviously won’t be able to update your Windows 10 PC until you fix this error. You will keep seeing this error even when you try to reboot or update it a couple of times. As mentioned, the error code 0x800706be appears when there is something wrong with your system files – they are either corrupted or misconfigured. This error is most likely caused by the corrupted Windows Update Components. Corruption of these files is not unusual and it could happen anytime. So since the Windows Update files or components are corrupted, you won’t be able to successfully install the latest Windows Updates. Here are some options you can try to fix the problem.

Option 1 – Try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running the Windows Update troubleshooter is one of the basic things to do when facing any kind of issue with Windows Updates. As long as it can it will detect the issue and automatically solve them so that there will be no need for you to do more technical steps to resolve the issue.

• Tap the Windows and R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type in “control.exe /name Microsoft.Troubleshooting” in the field and tap Enter to open the Windows Update Troubleshooter.
• After that, click Windows Update and follow the next on-screen instructions.

Option 2 – Try resetting the Windows Update Components

This is another basic thing to do in fixing the error 0x800706be. It is also one of the solutions that mostly worked for users who also got this error when trying to install Windows updates. And since the problem is caused by corrupted Windows update components, the most logical thing to do is to delete old files and reset components. To reset the Windows Update components, follow the given instructions below carefully.

• Tap the Windows key once.
• Then in the Windows Start Search, type in “command prompt”.
• From the search results displayed, right-click on Command Prompt and select the “Run as administrator” option.
• After that, type in “net stop wuauserv” and tap Enter.
• Next, type in “net stop cryptSvc” and tap Enter.
• Then type in “net stop bits” and tap Enter.
• Type in “ren C:\Windows\Software\Distribution Software\Distribution.old” and then tap Enter.
• Afterward, type in “C:\Windows\System32\catroot2\Catroot2.old” and tap Enter.
• Next, type “net start cryptSvc” and tap Enter.
• Then type “net start bits” and tap Enter.
• Finally, type in “net start msiserver” and tap Enter.
• Now close Command Prompt and then try updating Windows once more.

When you run a program in Windows 10, error 0xc000012f may pop up, mentioning that the files and binaries you’re trying to run are corrupted. Error 0xc000012f means Bad Image, denoting that the program’s executable or one of the supporting modules is corrupt. Or there is probably a DLL mismatch. This error usually manifests itself after a windows update or after installation of some application, in order to fix it follow the steps below:

1. Perform SFC scan

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the Windows menu From the menu choose command prompt (admin) In command prompt type sfc /scannow and press ENTER Leave the computer for the operation to be completed and Reboot your computer

2. Run DISM

   Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X to open the Windows menu From the menu choose command prompt (admin) in command prompt type: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press ENTER wait for the process to be finished and Reboot your computer

3. Reinstall application

   If this error has been popping up after the application install remove the installed application and install it again. There is the possibility that the application installer has by accident corrupted some files, reinstalling it might fix the issue.

4. Uninstall Windows update

   In some cases, Windows update can introduce this issue, go to Windows updates, into advanced options, and uninstall the latest update to see if this will fix the error.

5. Install Visual C++ Redistributable

   Go to the official Microsoft website and download C++ redistributable package and install it

6. Install new windows update

   If there is a new Windows update install, there is a chance that in the last update something went wrong and it is very likely that it was fixed in the last one.

When your computer is slow, you don’t have much choice but to wait until it gets done with a task at its own pace, albeit a slow one. So if you want to switch user accounts on your computer a couple of times daily, then a slow computer can get really irritating. What makes system processes slow is that the accounts have some programs or applications running and resources allocated to them. And besides, if your computer is already low on performance, it will kill the natural fluidic flow of the user. But worry not, for this post will guide you in switching user accounts with the help of some minor tweaks in your Windows 10 computer. To disable or enable Fast User Switching, you have two methods to do that using the Registry Editor and the Group Policy Editor. Either way, refer to the instructions laid out below.

Option 1 – Enable or disable Fast User Switching via Registry Editor

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• After that, type “Regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Next, go to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem
• Then right-click on System and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name this newly created DWORD as “HideFastUserSwitching”.
• Now double click on it. If you want to enable Fast User Switching, input “0” as the value, and if you want to disable it, input “1” as its value.
• Restart your PC to successfully apply the changes made.

Option 2 – Enable or disable Fast User Switching via Group Policy Editor

Take note that this option will not work if you are using the Windows 10 Home edition since the Group Policy Editor does not come with Windows 10 Home. Refer to the steps below to enable or disable Fast User Switching using Group Policy Editor.

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and then type in “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
• Next, navigate to this path inside the Group Policy Editor: Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemLogon
• Now double click on the configuration listing labeled as “Hide entry points for Fast User Switching” to open the configuration page.

Note: On the configuration page, you will see the following description:

“This policy setting allows you to hide the Switch User interface in the Logon UI, the Start menu, and the Task Manager. If you enable this policy setting, the Switch User interface is hidden from the user who is attempting to log on or is logged on to the computer that has this policy applied. The locations that the Switch User interface appears in the Logon UI, the Start menu, and the Task Manager. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the Switch User interface is accessible to the user in the three locations.”

• From there, you can choose to enable or disable the Fast User Switching depending on your preferences. After you’ve selected, click OK and exit the Group Policy Editor.
• Now restart your PC to apply the changes made successfully.

As in previous Windows 10, inside Windows 11 also when you press the ALT + TAB key combination you will get a preview of all running applications along with all Browser tabs so you can go through them and pick the one you want to switch to. Alto, I personally am a big fan of alt-tabbing, I must admit that I am not a big fan of having multiple browsers tabs on screen when I do press key combo. Luckily there is a very easy way to turn this feature off. Turning browsers tabs thumbnails off

1. Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
2. Click on System in the sidebar
3. Scroll down and select Multitasking
4. Find Alt + Tab section and click on the drop-down menu
5. Pick Open Windows Only
6. Close settings

Now when you press the ALT + TAB key combination you will still see your browser but only an active tab in it instead of all tabs as different preview thumbnails.

Recently, a number of Windows 10 users reported that they were not able to use Cortana properly because it wasn’t able to connect to the internet. According to these users, Cortana won’t connect to the internet even when their internet connection is stable. According to security experts, this issue is confirmed to occur only with Microsoft accounts. This problem might have something to do with a proxy server that interferes with Cortana. There were reports that this issue was caused by a proxy that was filtering the network connection which also happens to interfere with Cortana’s ability to adapt search results and queries based on the user’s location. It could also be caused by some glitch in the home network or your Microsoft account information is inconsistent or your Microsoft account has to be verified. Here are some suggestions that could help fix the connection issue in Cortana, just start with the first one and work your way down until you encounter an option that fixes the problem.

Option 1 – Restart or reset your modem or router

The first thing you can try is restarting or resetting your modem or router. All you have to do is unplug the power cable of the modem and then plug it back in after a few seconds. You could also use the reset button of the modem at the back if it is one. But before you press the reset button, keep in mind that it will erase all the connection credentials and it will be set back to its default settings. After rebooting the network, you can restart your computer to force your modem or router to reassign an IP address to your computer.

Option 2 – Restart Cortana

Restarting Cortana can help you resolve the issue.

• To restart Cortana, open the Task Manager, right-click on Cortana and select the “End process” option.
• Then go to the File tab and select “Run new task”.
• After that, type in “cortana.exe” and press Enter to restart the process.

Option 3 – Try to remove Proxy

Removing the Proxy might also help you in fixing the connection issue in Cortana. Here’s how you can do it:

• Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Then type “inetcpl.cpl” in the field and hit Enter to pull up the Internet Properties.
• After that, go to the Connections tab and select the LAN settings.
• From there. Uncheck the “Use a Proxy Server” option for your LAN and then make sure that the “Automatically detect settings” option is checked.
• Now click the OK and the Apply buttons.
• Restart your PC.

Note: If you are using a third-party proxy service, you have to disable it.

Option 4 – Open another app that uses a Microsoft account

This might seem like an odd fix, however, a couple of users tried doing this and it worked for them as it allowed Cortana to connect to the internet again. In this option, you just have to launch another app that uses your Microsoft account information in the same way as Cortana, for instance, the Store app. Once you open the app, a prompt should appear along with a dialog box that allows you to update your Microsoft account with the information required. After that, restart your computer and check if Cortana is now able to connect to the internet or not.

Option 5 – Verify your Microsoft account

In some cases, Cortana might not be able to connect to the internet because your Microsoft account is no longer verified. This usually happens when you use a two-step authentication system with your Microsoft account. To verify it, just open Settings and click on Accounts. After that, check if you have a Verify hyperlink under your Microsoft account or not then click on Verify. Afterward, follow the next on-screen prompts to verify your Microsoft account. Once your account is verified, restart your computer.

Option 6 – Reset Cortana settings

• Open Cortana and go to the Settings section where you’ll see the “Turning off Cortana clears what Cortana knows on this device, but won’t delete anything from the Notebook. After Cortana is off, you can decide what you’d like to do with anything still stored in the cloud” option. Turn this option off.
• Restart your PC.
• After your computer boots, launch Cortana again and check.

Most scrollbars are hidden by default if they are not used in Windows 11. If you are not ok with this feature and want scrollbars to be always visible and available do not worry, turning them ON is very easy.

• Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open Windows settings
• Click on Accessibility in the sidebar
• Select Visual Effects
• Inside visual effects settings find Always show scrollbars and switch it ON

Windows 11 will save settings automatically and apply setting right away. Close settings and continue with work.